27 Early Pregnancy Symptoms and Signs

Take the guess work out now. You might be pregnant . Here’s the most common signs of pregnancy to look out for.

Signs Of Pregnancy

1. Tender Or Sore Breasts

Expect tender breast a week or two after conception. After conception the hormone progesterone levels starts to rise, causing an increase in blood flow.

Breast become sore and sensitive as they prepare to produce milk. During pregnancy the body retains water causing your breast to change shape as they swell. The breasts can become so sensitive that it’s sore to the touch.

Some women experience tingling breasts. Your veins may be more visible due to your breasts feeling fuller, heavier and becoming larger.

Confirm pregnancy through a pregnancy test. Don’t mistake sore breasts as only a pregnancy symptom. It could also indicate PMS. Hormonal imbalances, birth control pills or other hormone-based birth control may cause sore breasts.

2. Fatigue

If fatigue persist after ovulation, it could an early sign of pregnancy. Increased progesterone during the first trimester causes your basal body temperature to rise, making you feel exhausted.Your body is working overtime to prepare itself for pregnancy.

Your baby is depleting most of your calories. Your heart and lungs work hard and fast during pregnancy making you feel exhausted.

Feeling emotional, nauseous and upset due to fatigue is common. Take it easy. Rest if you can.

There is some relieve. The placenta will be fully formed by week 12. You will feel more alert in your second trimester. Most of your energy will return. As you near the end of your pregnancy you will feel fatigue again due to the excess weight you are carrying

3. Mood Swings

Many women suffers from PMS. The hormonal changes in your body causes mood swings that might be similar to PMS albeit not so severe. Some women will be emotional, others feeling anxious or depressed.

Adequate rest is needed to alleviate your mood swings. Small snacks throughout the day might also help.

4. Increased Hunger

Weight gain is easy during first trimester. You may feel hungrier than usual due to hormonal changes.

Eat fibre-rich foods. Drink a glass of water before a meal. This will make you feel fuller for longer.

5. Headaches

Elevated progesterone levels may cause migraines, headaches in early pregnancy. Some women experience migraines due to an increase in blood volume.

Frequent headaches or migraines may occur during early pregnancy due to the sudden rise of hormones in the body.

Having headaches during pregnancy may not be an indicator of pregnancy.

When headaches persist or become severe don’t take over the counter pain killers. Drink enough fluids to lessen the severity of headaches. Some pain pills can harm the baby. It is best to get medical advice as not to harm your new baby. The headaches will lessen as your progress in your pregnancy as your body adjusts to the elevated hormone levels.

6.Nasal Stuffiness / Colds

Blocked nose. Runny nose. Stuffy nose. All are very common in pregnancies. Hormonal changes in the body affects the nasal passages.

Your immune system’s job is to protect you.

Your body see your foetus as a foreign object and will attack it. Thankfully the foetus produces hormones and antibodies in order to protect itself. The foetus antibodies suppress the immune system and prevents it from attacking it.

A suppressed immune system makes you vulnerable to colds and flu. This is necessary to protect your unborn baby.

7. Elevated Basal Body Temperature

Progesterone will increase your elevated basal body temperature. Elevated temperatures for more than two weeks could indicate pregnancy.

8. Feeling Light Headed

feeling light headed is not uncommon during pregnancy. Low blood pressure accompanied with low blood sugar and dilating blood vessels can cause spells of dizziness and light-headedness. Eat smaller meals during the day if you blood sugar is low. Staying hydrated is also beneficial.

9. Increased Thirst

One of the early signs of pregnancy is thirst. An increase in blood volume causes frequent urination, leaving you thirsty.

10. Nausea And Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting also known as morning sickness effect 50 – 90% of all women.Morning sickness is one of the most common symptoms of pregnancy. It presents itself between the second and eighth week period.

Don’t let the name morning sickness fool you. You can experience it all day long.

With elevated hormone levels, your stomach to takes longer to empty, causing nausea and vomiting. You are fortunate if you don’t experience morning sickness at all.

When you’re pregnant even a smell can make you nauseas.

It typically subsides at the start of the second trimester. It can last up to 16 weeks although for some it can last through the whole pregnancy.

If vomiting is extreme consult your GP to rule out a serious pregnancy condition called Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG).

11. Constipation.

Prenatal vitamins containing iron exaggerates the problem. More fibre to your diet and drinking extra fluids will help with this.

Hormones sometimes affect women differently. Most women have issues with constipation during early pregnancy, some have diarrhoea instead.

12. Bloating

Bloating is one of the early signs of pregnancy. Common among pregnant women.

A rise in progesterone and oestrogen levels causes your gut to work slower. A slower gut translates into gas for you making you feel bloated. This is similar to what you might experience before your period.

13. Peeing Often

Frequent trips to the bathroom is no fun at all. Don’t mistake peeing often as having a possible bladder infection.

Frequent urination is one of the early signs of pregnancy. Some women experience the need for frequent urination early in their pregnancy.

Two things happen when you’re pregnant.

The more the baby grows the more the uterus presses against the bladder. The swelling of the uterus put pressure on your bladder causing you to urinate often. This usually starts around the six to eight week mark after conception.

Your kidney goes into overdrive, producing more urine due to an increase in blood flow to the kidneys. The increase in blood flow is as a result of hormonal changes the moment you get pregnant.

Don’t take frequent urination as the only sign of pregnancy. If other pregnancy symptoms are absent, it could indicate urinary tract infection, bladder infection or diabetes.

You might think it might help to cut back on the fluids, don’t, you need to stay hydrated during pregnancy.

14. Darkening Of The Skin Around Your Nipples

When you’re pregnant your nipples may get darker. The melanocytes, the cells responsible for giving your nipples color becomes more active due to hormonal surges. This is the body’s way to prepare itself for breastfeeding. Breast changes can occur a week or two after conception.

As your areolas becomes darker, you may find your nipples become erect and the bumps around the nipples more pronounced. Don’t be alarmed! It’s normal for pink nipples to become brown. Its also normal for brown nipples to become dark brown when pregnant. There’s a good chance your darkened areolas will remain after birth.

15. Aching Body

An aching body and sore muscles could indicate pregnancy. You’re body will work extra hard when you’re pregnant.

16. Backaches

Back pain occurs early in pregnancy. As you gain weight, more pressure is put on your spinal column. It usually last until delivery.

Constipation, implantation cramping and bloating may cause backaches during pregnancy.
Take note, backache could also be a premenstrual symptom.

17. Vaginal Discharge

You may discharge more cervical fluid during pregnancy, due to elevated levels of oestrogen and progesterone.

The increase in cervical mucus gives a clue at what stage of your menstrual cycle you are. Although an increase in cervical fluid could also indicate pregnancy, it could also be unrelated. Normal oestrogen levels can also cause vaginal discharge.

18. Food Cravings

Food cravings is not a myth. It is a well known pregnancy symptom. About 90 percent of pregnant women experience food cravings during second trimester and last throughout their pregnancy. It is common for women to hit the convenience store to satisfy their cravings.

Food cravings can be caused by a lack of certain nutrients, stress, depression or dieting. Your body needs extra calories during your pregnancy causing food cravings. It may be side effect of increasing amounts of oestrogen.

19. Vivid Dreams

20. Metallic Taste

This is caused by the increase in progesterone which control your taste buds. For some it can last through the entire pregnancy. If you are so lucky it will disappear during the second trimester.

21. Over-sensitive Or Heightened Emotions

Do you feel emotional?

Do you feel annoyed for unknown reasons?

Being emotional during pregnancy is usually classified as one of the early signs of pregnancy.

Due to hormonal changes to your body, your emotions will become crazy during your first trimester. Usually this will wear off as the pregnancy progress.

22. Spotting

Only 20-25 percent of women experience some type of implantation spotting.

Most of the spotting occur during early pregnancy, making it one of the early signs of pregnancy. Spotting usually occurs about 5-10 days after conception. This happens when the embryo implants in the uterus.

Implantation bleeding may happen a few days before your period is due. Some women gets confused, easily mistaking it for a period. Typically it is light, brown or pink. A shorter period or an unusual period may be a pregnancy symptom.

Consult a GP as soon as possible if bleeding becomes heavier and fails to stop.

23. Cramping

What is that you’re feeling?

Cramps?

And you think this shows that it’s almost period time?

Not so fast! During pregnancy your hormones fluctuate causing cramping early on.

24. Late Period

The most common symptom of pregnancy is a late or skipped menstrual period. During the first few weeks implantation bleeding is usually light.

Heavy bleeding could indicate a miscarriage especially when you had a positive pregnancy test. If this happens consult your doctor immediately.

Although skipping your menstrual period is a potential sign of pregnancy. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’re pregnant. It could also be caused by:

Hormonal imbalances

Breastfeeding

Excessive changes in weight or diet

Stress

Illness

Travelling

Going off birth control pills

Antibiotics

25. Shortness of Breath

Your growing foetus need oxygen, and lots of it. As your baby grows it will put pressure on your lungs and diaphragm leaving you breathless. This will likely continue throughout your pregnancy.

26. Change In Colour Of Your Vagina

Yes your vagina do change colour. Your vagina will appear more purplish due to an increase in blood in the pelvic area.

27. Pimples(Acne)

O yes pimples! There’s a good chance you could get them early in pregnancy.

Do not pick or squeeze them. You don’t want unsightly scars on your face as evidence of your pregnancy.

The good news is it will subside as your hormones stabilizes.

Conclusion

These are the most common signs of pregnancy. Having one of the symptoms does not conclude that you’re pregnant. Get yourself a pregnancy kit. If results are positive, go to your local GP to confirm results.